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The San Francisco 49ers, a team in the Super Bowl just over a year ago, could be entering the 2021 NFL Draft with several needs to fill. The Niners finished the 2020 season with just six wins, mostly due to a roster devastated by injuries. Included among those injuries were pass rushers
Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, who both exited the lineup for good by Week 2.
Bosa is coming off a torn ACL, while Ford's status remains a mystery.
The defensive back situation has to be a concern, too. The only starter who is signed is safety Jimmie Ward. Richard Sherman,
Jason Verrett, K'Waun Williams, and Jaquiski Tartt are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.
Then you have the uncertainty at left tackle (and some would say right tackle, too). Veteran
Trent Williams remains on course to hit free agency and will be in-demand on the open market.
NFL Media draft analyst Chad Reuter
released his first mock draft of the year, and it's a monster. The projections go four rounds deep. What does he have San Francisco doing with its first four selections?
Reuter has the 49ers bolstering their pass rush with former Miami defensive end
Gregory Rousseau at No. 12 overall.
"The 49ers' defensive line was decimated by injury in 2020 and will be hit hard again in free agency," wrote Reuter. "Picking the long and strong Rousseau would allow
Arik Armstead to move back inside, where he can be more disruptive."
Rousseau (6-7, 265) recorded 54 tackles, 19.5 tackles for a loss, 15.5 sacks, a pass defensed, and two forced fumbles through 13 games in 2019. He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Reuter doesn't add comments to his projected selections beyond Round 1, but the strategy appears to address the concerns mentioned at the start of this article. The analyst has San Francisco drafting former Georgia cornerback
Tyson Campbell (6-2, 185) at No. 43 overall in the second round, and then former San Diego State cornerback
Darren Hall (6-0, 190) in the fourth round, a player the team met with at the Senior Bowl.
Those moves could address a position that looks to be decimated this offseason. But what about the offensive tackle position?
Reuter also makes a selection for San Francisco in Round 3, based on an expected compensatory selection issued for Robert Saleh's hiring by the New York Jets. The analyst has the 49ers adding former Stanford offensive tackle
Walker Little (6-7, 320) with that selection, which he lists at No. 103 overall.
Things will change as the rest of free agency plays out. However, this mock draft tries to address the San Francisco 49ers' key needs and doesn't rely heavily on the moves that have already been made this week—just yet.
This mock draft was created without heavily factoring in the trade for defensive tackle Maliek Collins, so it still includes 11 selections. Another mock draft reflecting the most recent roster changes is coming soon.
Round 1, Pick 31
DT Byron Murphy II, Texas
Although the 49ers addressed the defensive tackle position in free agency, Byron Murphy II may be the best player at the 31. Murphy II's quick burst and get-off makes him one of the most dangerous defensive tackles in the draft. He will impact the
The NFL has reportedly penalized the San Francisco 49ers for payroll accounting errors. The team is losing a fifth-round draft pick in 2025 and having its fourth-round pick in 2024 moved to the end of the round as punishment.
Just in: The #49ers are losing a 2025 5th-round pick and will have their 2024 4th-round pick (#131) move to the end of the fourth round because of payroll accounting errors. pic.twitter.com/X8D33mY94A— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate)
While news of Arik Armstead's impending release could potentially alter the San Francisco 49ers' draft strategy, we'll first have to wait to see how the team addresses its defensive front in free agency. Assuming the 49ers brain trust has a plan in place and can execute it properly, that would leave them free to address the offensive line next month.
In the latest mock draft by analytics site Pro Football Focus, the 49ers are projected to do just that, with former Alabama tackle JC Latham falling to them at No. 31 overall.
"Admittedly, this is a dream scenario for the 49ers," analyst Dalton Wasserman wrote in the pre-free agency
The San Francisco 49ers announced that they have extended a second-round tender to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who was slated to become a restricted free agent on Wednesday, the start of the new league year.
The 49ers had aimed to negotiate a contract extension with Jennings before the onset of free agency. The right-of-first-refusal second-round tender ensures Jennings a deal valued at $4.89 million for the upcoming season. The team stands to gain a second-round draft pick should he sign elsewhere for a higher salary. While the tender for Jennings exceeds expectations, it presents an attractive salary for the receiver in 2024, should he remain with the team.
"Jauan is really